I feel lucky to be able to be a manager / leader / coach, in part because it feels like a vocation or spiritual path.
First, I find that it’s an arena for becoming the sort of person I want to become.
Doing strategy forces me to think hard about what is going on in the world, look into the darkness, and come up with plans that might work anyway. Performance management means delivering hard feedback with care. Coaching helps me notice my own brokenness, give tough feedback directly but kindly, and try to imagine and nurture a better version of people. Leading a team means I need to listen, take care of culture, and take ownership for the group.
Second, I get to try to help others become who they want to be, even while I’m learning myself.
I’m far from perfect at all of this, but I feel lucky that my work is intertwined with the quest to become a stronger, wiser person.